Chapter 28

IRENE'S POV Arriving at the Gerard wolf pack hospital, my heart raced with nothing but fear. I pushed open the doors, my eyes scanning the hallways for any sign of Maria. My pulse pounded in my ears as I hurried down the corridors, each step echoing in the sterile environment. Finally, I saw Miles standing outside one of the rooms, his expression unreadable. The dread in my chest intensified, but I forced myself to approach him. “Miles,” I called out, trying to keep my voice steady. “Where is she? Where’s my mother?” He turned to me, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something in his eyes, but it was gone before I could identify it. He simply nodded toward the room, and I rushed inside. What I saw stopped me cold. Maria was lying in the hospital bed, but instead of the frail, dying woman I’d expected, she looked perfectly healthy. There was color in her cheeks, and her eyes were open, watching me with a calmness that sent alarm bells ringing in my head. She wasn’t sick. Sh